Review: Forex Cargo

In preparation for our firstborn, my husband and I bought a lot of baby stuff online from Amazon.com and Diaper Junction, including cloth diapers which I wrote about recently. Family and friends in the US also gifted us with more baby stuff. All of these were too many to fit in my husband’s checked baggage on his flight to the Philippines, so he sent them ahead of time in two jumbo balikbayan boxes via Forex Cargo.

Why Forex Cargo? Apparently they are the only balikbayan box shipping company available in his corner of the US, which doesn’t have too many Filipino residents. (In contrast, there are more choices in Pinoy-laden cities like New York and LA.)

It was my first time to be the recipient of a balikbayan box, so I was a bit anxious, especially since the two boxes contained baby essentials that weren’t available locally. It was also peak Christmas holiday season, so the delivery time was three times longer than usual. It didn’t help that their official Facebook page is beset with customer complaints and negative reviews, which added to the anxiety.

The boxes were picked up at home by a Forex Agent, who provided receipts with tracking numbers. One can easily track the status of one’s shipment online on their Box Tracker page, which is a big plus.

The first box arrived on time and without incident. Obviously, we were very happy that our baby goodies were all intact and nothing was missing.

The second box, on the other hand, sat at their provincial office for more than two weeks (!). The delay was unreasonable, as we were only a two-hour drive away. We politely sent them a message on Facebook to deliver our box ASAP. To their credit, they replied quickly, and the box was finally delivered three days after we contacted them.

TL;DR: Yes, your balikbayan box will arrive safely with Forex Cargo. Although our second box arrived late, it was unopened and in good condition. We’re cutting them some slack as it was peak holiday season.